Piergentili will continue with Cushman in a more client-centric role and help with the transition, according to a Monday news release.

"Brian is probably one of the premier (corporate) occupier services brokers in this market," Keais told Crain's. "His focus will be returning to that ... I'll be taking the baton from Brian. We've had strong growth and change, and my goal is to continue to do that by (growing) service lines, continuing to grow our brokerage platform."

Keais, 54, has spent more than 25 years in the real estate industry. He is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University and Walsh College.

Cushman & Wakefield has about 15 employees assigned to metro Detroit, Keais said. It moved its Southfield office into the American Center building around five months ago.

The company had previously opened in another Southfield location in 2015 as part of its merger with real estate company DTZ under private investment firm TPG. TPG and partners bought Cushman & Wakefield for $2 billion in 2015, Crain's New York Business reported.

Before that, Cushman had maintained his presence in metro Detroit through an agreement with Signature Associates that ended in 2015.